Malevolence
by Emsawe
Summary: 'No one's going to help me.' A brunette thought, letting a tear trickle down the corners of her cerulean irises. She watched a red-clad figure raise one arm which held a bloody knife. The coppery stench made its way to the suffering girl as she panted for breath. 'He's going to kill me.'
1. Chapter 1

'_No one's going to help me.'_ A brunette thought, letting a tear trickle down the corners of her cerulean irises. She watched a red-clad figure raise one arm which held a bloody knife. The coppery stench made its way to the suffering girl as she panted for breath.

'_He's going to kill me.' _

The crimson figure brought down his his arm, letting his current weapon strike the brunette's shoulder blade. The girl let out an ear-piercing screech, tears erupting from her desperate eyes. Streams of scarlet trickled down her legs and formed a pool of blood below the chained brunette.

Truth be told, the girl had wanted so desperately for her life to simply end, to fade away and be forgotten but she knew that could never possibly happen. The figures clad in red harbor no mercy, they torture the brunette from dawn to dusk before leaving her to the dreaded darkness.

Then the cycle of torture would start all over again.

'_Why was I kidnapped in the first place?'_

That's right, she was kidnapped for no reason whatsoever. She was a toy for her captors to abuse endlessly, simply a doll. The blue eyed girl couldn't remember the last time she saw the light of day. The sunlight gracing its warmth upon her skin, the lush grass brushing up lightly against her clothing, the lovely breeze whipping her hair in the wind; when was the last time she had felt this happiness?

She's forgotten that dream, that joy, and she despises that fact. She wanted her happiness back. She wanted her freedom back. She wanted to live again.

{...Time Skip...}

"Come, Berea, we must hurry." A blue eyed girl whispered urgently to a brown maned horse whose eyes sparkled at the sight of the brunette. The horse grunted in response and allowed the girl to mount her back.

"Good girl, let's go." She lashed at the reins, panting desperately for breath. She bared the marks of a fight, fresh wounds bleeding non-stop.

The girl whipped the horse once again, sending the animal in the opposite direction, with grace and speed. She didn't care where they went, not at all. She just wanted to get away from her retched prison.

_Pit pat. Pit pat. _

Rain started to pour heavily, unfortunately for the blue eyed teenager.

"Looks like this isn't our luckiest day, Berea, but then again, I'm the very dictionary definition of 'unlucky.'" She chuckled half-heartedly at her own joke before hitting on the reins once again. Berea didn't go any faster though. If anything, the poor horse went at a slower pace.

_Pit pat. Pit pat. _

It was as if the rain were teasing the brown haired teenager, stubbornly refusing to let up. The harsh wind whipped the girl's long hair from under her cloak, causing her hair to dance rather ungracefully in the wet storm.

The brunette's patience was running thin. She had barely managed to escape her from the clutches of her captors but they had immediately sent guards after her. If she didn't hurry, she might as well say goodbye to her 15 minutes of freedom before being shoved back into the dungeons. The girl shuddered at the thought of having to go back to that misery.

_Pit pat. Pit pat. _

"Please, Berea, they will catch us if we don't hurry!" She pleaded once again. The girl could almost imagine her future, it would be full of happiness and never ending freedom. The birds would chirp at her company, rabbits would chitter and her horse would neigh while crunching on fresh grass.

_That lovely future would never come. _

Berea let out a pitiful moan before collapsing to her side, knees buckling underneath. The girl fell off the back of her horse with a painful thud before immediately jumping right back to her feet.

"Berea! What's wrong?! You're not sick are you! Oh, please no-" she was quickly cut off by a rough sniff and a sickly groan from her fallen companion.

"What should I do?! Do you have a fever? I don't know how to treat fevers on horses! Berea, stay with me!" the brunette exclaimed, tears springing to her sapphire blue eyes.

Was she going to lose someone else again?

Guilt was all the girl could feel once she heard her companion take her final breath. Tears fell, to the ground as she stroked her horse's mane gently.

"I'm sorry." Her voice quivered as she stood up from her current position. As much as she hated to leave Berea dead on the ground alone, she had to keep going.

'_I just need to find a road. Even a dirt road will help. Every road leads to somewhere and somewhere always leads to a town and a town is exactly what I need!' _

The teenager broke into a sudden coughing fit before profusely shivering.

"Wonderful. It's showering and here I am with a cold. This is going to be a miserable night…" She grumbled with slight irritation when she suddenly heard the faint sound of a pair of trotting horses. Maybe she wasn't so lucky after all. She had found her road.

The brunette dashed toward the faint outline of the road in front of her but when she finally reached her destination, her eyes widened in shock and pure dread. A carriage was racing towards her at full speed, with a man clad in black driving the horses.

'_So I achieved my freedom only to have it yanked away?' _

In that very moment, the blue eyed girl collapsed face forward, with a loud splash.


	2. Chapter 2

A butler with jet black hair whipped the horses with the reins, urging the animals to increase their current pace. He wanted to get the young master back to the manor as soon as possible for one reason and one reason only: a grouchy master means a painful day for the poor butler.

Things were going nice and easy until heavy rain started pouring down, making the roads all but more slippery than they had already been from the previous day's rainfall. Occasional bumps on the road would cause his master to launch some clever insult at him with impatience. The butler was thinking about how to tease his master the next day when suddenly, his precise vision caught sight of a young girl, wandering into the road, in front of their carriage. Immediately, the servant pulled on the reins, in an attempt to prevent the horses from crushing the brunette.

Instantly, his master's head popped out of the carriage door to see the collapsed girl in front of _his _carriage.

"The bloody hell was that, Sebastian?! Did you run over her?! You imbecile! I DON'T WANT TO BE CHARGED WITH MURDER DAMN IT, GET HER IN THE CARRIAGE!" His little master ordered with urgency and annoyance.

"Yes, my lord." Was all the butler said before proceeding to pick up the girl gently into his arms. He frowned as he noticed the numerous bruises and wounds scattered across her pale skin. Quickly, Sebastian carried the brunette to the carriage and placed her inside, next to his young master.

The butler's master touched the girl's forehead cautiously and frowned before taking his hand away.

"Sebastian,"

"Yes, my lord?"

"Get us home quickly. The girl's head is burning."

"Of course, my lord."

{1st Person POV}

I woke up to see sunlight invading my vision, it was blinding. Suddenly, my mind caught up to my current state. Where am I? I was on that road, about to be smushed into roadkill! Immediately, I jolted upward, to see a room with elegant decor and an unfamiliar person yanking the curtains open. I tilted my head in curiosity. Who was this person? Well, at least there's someone there to answer my questions.

I glanced down to see myself in a bed with white sheets and cream colored covers. A clean bed. I gasped with wide eyes. I haven't seen a bed in forever! I could have squealed but then I remembered that I was in an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar person in unfamiliar clothing. I wonder who dressed me.

A light chuckle brought me back to reality with a jolt.

"Good morning, miss. Would you like some tea?"

I flicked my gaze over to a man in a black suit, black pants and...black everything. Even his hair was black.

"No, but thank you for the offer." I politely declined, not wanting to take the chance of being poisoned, before taking in my surroundings. Everything was perfect, not a single flaw, which was slightly unsettling. Everything was just _too _perfect, if there is such a thing.

"Are you thinking that you're in heaven?" The same voice questioned with what sounded like a smirk. I quirked an eyebrow at the man. For a butler, he was pretty cocky. I ignored his question, finding it too stupid to answer. Why would I be in Heaven? If anything, I would be in Hell rather than Paradise. So I asked a question instead.

"Do you happen to know where I am?"

"Perhaps," I swear, if he smirks one more time, I'll grab the nearest item and chuck it at that cocky face of his.

My eyebrows twitched. I've always hated it when the people who like to annoy you just for kicks make your life harder than it actually has to be, just like what this idiotic butler is doing right now. I guess I'll have to be blunt.

"Could you please tell me where I am? And who changed me?"

That damned butler smirked before mock bowing. I suppressed the urge to throw my pillow at his face.

"Why, of course, my lady. You are in the hospitality of the Earl Phantomhive. I believe one of our maids changed you for the young master considered your own clothing improper."

"Okay, I'm guessing that I'm going to have to cough up some information then."

"Correct."

"Damn."

The black haired butler smiled with his eyes closed, in a seemingly fake manner. I'm getting a gut feeling that I pissed him off somehow.

"Please do mind your language while you are in the Earl's hospitality."

Bingo.

"I don't give promises, I can never keep them." I stared out the window, admiring the sunlight I've missed so much. How pretty.

"Of course. Please get changed quickly, the young master plans to meet you over breakfast."

I tilted my head ever so slightly.

"Breakfast?"

"Yes, breakfast. Is there something wrong?" the red eyed butler sent me a strange look. I squirmed under his gaze. I haven't had breakfast since the day they kidnapped me.

"Never mind. What do I change into? I'm assuming you threw out my old clothing." I played with the hem of my current clothing with eyeing the butler with a cautious gaze. He simply smiled.

"I have prepared a set of dresses in the closet. You may pick whichever you want, I'm afraid we have too many." The butler explained as he reached over and opened the closet doors, revealing a variety of dresses in vibrant and elaborate designs.

I nodded absentmindedly, turning my attention back to the dresses. To be honest, I preferred the clothing I had worn while I had been held captive since it was a lot more comfortable and offered more movement even though they barely covered anything. I never did share the love for dresses that my mother and sister had.

The sound of a creaking door snapped my mind back to reality. The butler was leaving the room, as quietly as possible, it seemed. I suddenly realized that the fool never gave me his name.

"Um, excuse me," I started as he was about to slam the wooden door shut. He quirked an eyebrow, pausing mid step, giving me his full attention. I gulped, butterflies suddenly fluttered around in my empty stomach.

"W-what's your name?" I stuttered to my great embarrassment. Why the hell did I stutter?! I heard him chuckle for the 100th time, amusement twinkling in his mysterious eyes.

"Please, call me Sebastian. Now if you'll excuse me, I have duties to attend to." The red eyed butler bowed before turning tail and shutting the door behind him.

Nodding, I once again, turned my attention back to the breath-taking dresses that hung before me. Quickly, I chose a red dress that was laced in black. There were few frills but there was a rather large bow tied at the back of the dress. Fairy simple yet elegant. I slipped on a pair of black laced boots that I found stashed at the back of the closet.

I looked at my appearance in the polished mirror of the bathroom. Someone must have taken the liberty to bathe my bloody skin while I was unconscious or else I would look rather unpleasant at the moment. Not that I looked pretty either, of course. Quickly, I combed through my brown hair with my fingers before finally leaving my room.

I'm apparently meeting with the 'Young Master' but...where do I go?

I walked down the hall, took a left turn, and then a right, and then another left turn. Glancing at my surroundings, I came to a final decision.

I was lost.

"Need help, miss?" An eerily familiar voice questioned from behind me. If someone had done this to me before I had been kidnapped, I would have shrieked at the top of my lungs. I simply turned to find myself face-to-face with Sebastian, that cocky butler. I blinked.

"Oh. Hello, Sebastian. Actually, yes, I need help but…" I paused, stepping away from the red eyed man. "are you going to give me any help?"

Sebastian blinked before smiling, a smile that felt somewhat fake.

"My, you're smarter than I anticipated." he stated but was quickly cut off by an unfamiliar voice.

"Or maybe she just has trust issues."

I turned around to see a kid who appeared to be a couple years younger than me, 2 years at the most. He had a blue eye color like me and his hair had a blueish hue of black. I turned back to Sebastian, who had his signature smirk plastered across his face.

"You may be right, Young Master."

I heard an irritable sigh from the kid and inwardly sighed myself. Sebastian simply smiled and gestured for me to follow after his master.

Okay then.

{Time Skip}

I was seated across from the blue eyed Earl at an elegantly and perfectly decorated table with perfect, well, everything. A little _too _perfect to be honest.

Suddenly, I heard the little Earl clear his throat in an authoritative manner, which granted him my attention.

"Sebastian, have you introduced me to her yet?"

The butler shook his head in response before preparing the tea for breakfast. The blue eyed Phantomhive ignored his butler and proceeded to glance at me, gaze unfaltering. I did not let my own gaze falter as well. A moment or two passed before the Earl finally let his eyes drop.

"I'm Ciel Phantomhive, Earl of the Phantomhive household. And this is Sebastian Michaelis, my butler. I assume you've met him already."

Oh, so his name is Ciel. I think I've heard that name somewhere before but I'm not so sure…

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm…" I hesitated for a moment. It's been so long since I've said my own name. So long that it felt like solid centuries.

"I'm Alina Amberwood."

"What an interesting name, Alina." Sebastian mused with a knuckle to his chin. Ciel looked to be in deep thought as well, making the atmosphere extremely awkward. Suddenly, the Earl shot a glance at me with his visible eye in hidden wonder.

"Your name sounds familiar but I'm not quite sure. I'll have to check later. Alina, are you currently on the run?" Ciel questioned, obviously bored. I nodded my head, in response, not bothering to give a verbal answer. I watched Sebastian's smile twist into an amused smirk before whispering something into his master's ear. The young Earl sipped his morning tea slowly before setting the delicate china down.

"I have a job proposal for you."


	3. Chapter 3

{Normal POV}

Alina grumbled in annoyance with a huff.

"Finni, Bard. If you don't wake up in the next thirty seconds, I will drown you in ice cold water, courtesy of Mr. Michaelis." The brunette had never had a patient personality and she had given the three imbeciles plenty of chances to wake up but they refused to cooperate.

_Thirty seconds passed_

Alina could hear Bardroy's deep, and very much irritating, snore from across the room. Her eyebrows twitched and a vein mark throbbed on the brunette's head. Finni giggled girlishly in his sleep, sending an unpleasant shiver up her spine.

"Sebastian!" The blue eyed maid roared with anger. Hopefully, the butler could be of help, which he normally is.

"What do you need now? I'm have absolutely no time to deal with your foolishness at the moment. The Young Master's tea should be done by now-" The black haired butler cut off mid-sentence when he walked into the room. "And why are those two still asleep? They should have been tending to their duties! Oh, this is going to throw off the schedule!" A throbbing tick mark appeared on Sebastian's head. It's only been a few weeks but Alina learned to never mess with Sebastian when it came to the schedule. His punishments were always merciless.

"Please hand me the bucket of water, preferably with ice. I need to torture these idiots. I had to do all of the laundry and the dishes by myself, damn it!" She exclaimed, stomping her foot with her arm stretched out, waiting for the bucket to be dropped into her hands. Oh yeah. _Real _mature.

Amusement flickered over Sebastian's face as he smirked. It was a real treat to get to see Alina's 'torturous side' since she is usually bubbly, cheerful and often kind to the point of annoyance.

"Just...five...more...minutes.." Finni pleaded before rolling onto her back. Alina face-palmed herself.

"I see. Very well, we must fix this irreverent behavior." Sebastian sighed before handing Alina a fairly large bucket of freezing water. Alina grinned maniacally.

{A few moments later…}

"GAHHHHHHH!" Finni screeched, eyes wide open.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR, WENCH?!" Bard yelled at Alina, hair drenched and clothing soaked.

The brunette simply smirked at the cook.

"BRAT!" Was his only response, before proceeding to wring his shirt, in an attempt to squeeze the water out of his night clothing.

Finni only smiled, seeing this whole situation as a childish joke, rubbing the back of his head.

"Serves you right!" Alina muttered under breath, still ticked off at having to do her fellow servant's share of the work. Finni smiled sheepishly before apologizing politely.

"I'll make sure he gets dressed!" The blonde beamed, shooing Alina and Sebastian out of the slippery room before slamming the door in their faces.

The brunette sighed with exhaustion. She was so tired already, and it was only the morning!

"Well, that was fun."

Sebastian quirked an eyebrow at the maid, not bothering to smirk this time.

"Oh, was it now? You made quite a mess in there."

Alina huffed and turned her eyes away, mentally checking for any chores that she may have forgotten to do previously.

Sebastian paused to check his watch briefly. "Oh dear, Young Master should be awake by now. Alina, go prepare and bring Young Master's morning tea to his room. Wake him up as well, I must hurry and finish the Breakfast…" the butler continued to mumble to himself, causing Alina to roll her eyes. He is such a workaholic. Poor guy, Ciel should give Sebastian a break sometimes.

The brunette sighed before shoving the butler in the direction of the dining room.

"Go, set up the breakfast table, instead of wasting time mumbling to yourself. I'll go 'wake up' Ciel." Alina smiled mischieviously.

"Don't drench him in water, Alina." the black haired butler warned the blue eyed maid with narrowed eyes. Alina simply stuck her tongue out, childishly.

"No promises! Bye bye~" She waved her hand, in an almost taunting manner, before dashing off to the kitchen.

{Time Skip}

Alina opened the door to Ciel's room as silently as possible. The brunette twisted her frown in a mischievous smile.

This will be fun.

"BLOODY HELL WHAT ARE YOU DOING-" Ciel shrieked, jumping away from her. Alina snickered as she walked over to the windows, yanking the curtains open, allowing sunlight to stream into the gloomy room.

"I didn't know you were so ticklish, Ciel!" The brunette exclaimed with amusement.

"Shut it!"

Alina grinned. "I'm assuming Sebastian wakes you up gently with a loving kiss? How adorable." She teased before pouring the Earl's morning tea in a glass cup.

"I'm going to kill you." Ciel threatened, his cheeks aflame. Alina only laughed his threat off.

"I've heard worse threats, Ciel. Threats that were intentional, so it's kind of hard to believe you, honestly." The blue eyed maid forced a smile onto her face while handing the Earl his tea.

"Well? I'm actually curious! How does your beloved butler wake you up in the morning, dear Young Master?" Alina smirked, holding back her snicker.

"Are you calling me homo?!" The blue eyed 15 year old clucked her tongue in mock disappointment.

"Oh, Ciel, you poor little thing. I pity you for knowing such dirty language…"

"THEN HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW IT?! AND WHY ARE YOU SAYING SUCH THINGS IN FRONT OF YOUR MASTER?"

Once again, the girl held back her urge to drop on the floor and die of laughter.

"Because I'm older than you of course!" She stated the obvious. Alina was taller and had lost her adorable baby face a long time ago. She looked so mature that Mey-rin had thought that she was 19 the first time they met. She avoided answering Ciel's second question by proceeding to pick out his clothing for the day.

"According to you, you're only older than me by two years!" Ciel protested, a tick mark throbbing on his head. The brunette smiled genuinely.

"It doesn't matter, you're still absolutely adorable when you're angry!

"Whatever. Where's Sebastian?" The Earl glanced around, looking for his butler. Alina sweatdropped.

"Did you call for me, my lord?" A mysterious voice spoke from the door, causing Alina to shudder.

"Holy crap, speak of the devil, here he is. I better run! Enjoy your time with your boyfriend, Young Master~" The brunette cackled maniacally before dashing out the door, which left a very confused Sebastian staring at his master.

"Boyfriend? I thought you weren't interested in relationships, Young Master."

"GAH! I'M GOING TO KILL THAT BLASTED MAID FOR THIS!"

{Time skip again~}

"So what's on the schedule today, Sebastian?" Alina questioned while scrubbing the dishes.

"Well, first thing on the schedule is to finish up this pie and serve it to Young Master for breakfast." The black haired butler spoke with no interest as he grabbed the apple pie from the warm insides of the oven. The spicy aroma of the pastry made Alina's mouth water; she could practically taste the cinnamon apple.

"I see. What should I do then? Do you want me to mop the floors?" She suggested before sneezing, her cerulean irises watered up quickly. "Or maybe I should dust the place. Fall is coming up, Ciel might get allergies.."

Sebastian stared at the maid with disapproval. "Please don't spread your germs here, Alina. This is the kitchen, where food is prepared and served. We don't need any germs on the food."

The brunette crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"Fine. 'Oh please dust the whole freaking manor so that you don't sneeze on my food.' No problem, no problem at all!" She threw up her hands in exasperation before grabbing a nearby duster and stomping off, out of the kitchen.

Sebastian only sighed holding a gloved hand to his head in frustration. Why did that girl always have sudden mood swings? And she always found a way to give him a migraine.

She was still amusing, nonetheless.


	4. Chapter 4

{Time Skip}

"I have prepared cinnamon apple pie-" Sebastian walked through Ciel's door to see his master reading a letter, paying the butler absolutely no attention, per usual. The black haired servant observed the 13 year old before setting the slice of pie down on his desk.

"Sebastian," Ciel suddenly said, setting the paper back down onto his wooden desk. The said butler turned to his master, awaiting his orders.

"Yes, my lord?"

"I dug around in the girl's family earlier. It was surprisingly hard to get the information. That girl, she's from an extremely wealthy family that produces sweets and furniture. The company is called Saiko Inc. A little under 9 years ago, the whole family was murdered, leaving only the youngest child alive." The blue eyed Earl informed his butler, clasping his hands together. Sebastian nodded.

"And Alina had shown signs of torture when we found her. Is she-" The red eyed servant was quickly cut off by his master, who was shaking his head.

"No. Alina is _not _the youngest child. Alina is the eldest, the one who was assumed to be dead since her body wasn't found with her family."

Sebastian brought a knuckle up to his chin, in deep thought.

"Why is this relevant? She is welcome to leave and go back to her home anytime. She most likely has an aunt or two that would be willing to take her in." He pointed out, glancing at his pocket watch.

"Fool! I'm telling you to be careful with the girl! If she is found dead on _my _property, the Yard will assume that she was kidnapped by the Phantomhive household! Alina has been on the 'missing' list for 9 years, Sebastian. 9 years!" Ciel exclaimed, shoving and old newspaper in front of his butler. Sebastian took a look at the date carefully.

"The dates don't match…" He mumbled loud enough for his master to hear him. Ciel stared at his butler, expecting him to explain immediately.

"Never mind me, I'm talking to myself. Your orders, my lord?"

"Sebastian, find more information about Alina, quickly. Her presence here may cause trouble. I don't like to play a game without knowing my enemies." Ciel turned his back to the butler and stared out the window behind him.

_The sun was setting. _

Sebastian smirked before holding his right hand over his heart, bowing.

"Right away, my lord." The butler then walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Ciel gave no response, closing his eyes slowly. Why did he feel so uneasy about Alina? What was off about her?

The Earl sighed before glancing at the newspaper that was sitting on his desk. He picked it up and began reading.

"_Anonymous murderers wipe out the Amberwood family, only leaving the youngest daughter alive. The eldest daughter's body has not been found with her family. It is thought that either she managed to run away or she was kidnapped by the murderers…" _

The rest of the paper was unreadable, due to wrinkles beyond repair. Ciel set the paper down and continued to work on the rest of his bloody paperwork.

He would just have to wait for Sebastian to return.

{Time Skip~}

"Alinaaaaaaaaa!" Mey-rin cried with frantic panic. Since Sebastian wasn't present at the moment to help her, the redhead cried for her fellow maid. The said brunette dashed from the kitchen to the laundry room in a split second.

"WHAT IS IT MEY-RIN?! DID SOMEONE TOSS A FREAKING BOMB IN HERE OH MY GOODNESS- wait why are there so many bubbles." Alina dead panned.

There were bubbles _everywhere_. Every corner and crack in the entire room. A tick mark formed on the blue eyed maid's head.

"Mey-rin. What did you do. Why is the room filled with sweet smelling bubbles." Alina asked with a monotone voice, already knowing the answer she was going to get.

"Erm...well..you see.." Mey-rin stuttered, playing with the hem of her skirt. The brunette groaned, not waiting to hear the rest of her companion's reply, and grabbed the nearest mop. This was going to take a while.

"I'll take care of this mess, could you please check on the mincemeat pie that I'm baking in the kitchen? _Do __not __burn it. Understood? _Thanks!"

Mey-rin nodded with a vibrant smile before sprinting out of the room.

"AND DON'T RUN IN THE HALLWAYS DAMN IT!" Alina screeched over her shoulder before proceeding to mop up the bloody mess the redhead had created.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note: I can't believe this story has 5 chapters already and I FORGOT TO PUT THE DISCLAIMER I AM SO SORRY IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. So yeah.. I don't own anything except for Alina of course. **

**I finally finished this chapchap yayyy! Enjoy ^^**

{Unknown POV}

_SLAP _

"You imbecile! How could you have let her escape?! I payed you to _keep her _in chains, not to let her _escape_!" A shrill female voice screeched, infuriated.

"P-p-please, spare me! Don't kill me!" Another voice begged in between desperate sobs.

A raven haired female walked dramatically out of the shadows. Her hazel eyes gleamed with malice as she stared down at the man who was begging at her feet.

"That's enough, Cynthia." A deep voice spoke from behind the lady.

"Lucas? I thought you were at a meeting with the others?" She questioned as she flipped her glossy hair over her shoulder. A blonde man revealed himself by the door from across the dark room. His green eyes flickered when his eyes met the chocolate brown eyes of the begging man.

"The meeting ended early since it started raining again." He stated before walking slowly over to the sobbing man. The blonde smiled like a cheshire cat.

"Cynthia, if he made a mistake, just let him correct it. I am positive that he will find the girl, _right Carlos? _Off you go! Find the girl and bring her to me. Is that understood? I'm sure you know the punishments if you fail twice."

The man nodded his head while trembling. "Yes, sir. I will find her."

"That's what I like to hear. You are dismissed." Lucas grinned, his emerald green eyes shining.

{The next morning at the Phantom Mansion}

"It's time to wake up now, Ciel."

Alina spoke as she opened the curtains to let in some light. She heard the Earl grumble as he sat up in his bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The brunette smiled as she poured his morning tea and set the drink beside his bed. She was careful to be more polite since Sebastian had made her scrub the floors with a _toothbrush_ as punishment for her behavior the other day. According to the black haired butler, she had been extremely 'rude.'

"I see… Earl Grey is it?" Ciel sipped his tea with his right eye shut tightly. Alina only nodded her head before heading towards the door.

"Sebastian will be here shortly, he is taking care of a few things. Please wait a few moments." Ciel simply nodded, dismissing the maid.

The brunette smiled politely before heading out the door and shutting it firmly behind her.

"Has the Young Master been woken?"

"AGHH!" Alina jumped, turning around to see Sebastian staring at her with amusement. She sweatdropped, placing a hand over her heart, trying to slow its pace. It was beating as fast a humming bird's fluttering wings.

"Y-yes, I woke him up already." The blue eyed maid stammered, taking a step away from the shut door, gesturing for the butler to enter. Sebastian grinned at Alina.

"Good. Please go help the others with preparations. We have a visitor later this evening. I will be there shortly." The red eyed butler informed the maid before entering Ciel's bedroom. Alina sighed, bringing a hand to her head.

"He wasn't really specific… I guess I'll just go set the dinner table then." She mumbled to herself before walking in the direction of the dining room.

{In Ciel's room}

"What is on today's schedule?" Ciel questioned as he sat on the edge of his bed. Sebastian picked out his clothing for the day and started unbuttoning his master's shirt.

"You will be meeting with Carlos Oshima. He wishes to bring his clothing line to toys that Funtom produces." The butler explained as he finished dressing Ciel.

"I see. Give this man a grand welcome, Sebastian." The blue eyed Earl ordered before grabbing his cane from the red eyed servant.

"Yes, my lord."

{In the Kitchen}

"Sebastiannnn~"

The black haired butler had only just rolled up his sleeves when he turned to see a certain brown haired maid. Sebastian sighed.

"What is it, Alina? Have you finished setting the tables?"

The maid's cerulean irises shined as she flashed him a brilliant smile. Sebastian blinked in confusion. Why is she so happy?

"Indeed! All of the silverware is polished and shiny and sparkly and oh, it looks so pretty!" Alina squealed as she came to a stop in front of the butler, still wearing her grand smile.

"Are you sure? There aren't any broken plates? What about the garden? Did Finni destroy any of the flowers?" The butler questioned as he stirred the brewing soup. Alina pouted with her arms cross over her chest.

"Everything is fine! You can go check yourself. So, do you need any help in here?" The brunette asked politely, standing on her tip-toes, trying to look over the butler's shoulder since she was too short to see anything.

"I believe I am fine-" Sebastian started when he heard a loud crash.

_BOOM!_

"It looks like Bard may have gotten his hands on dynamite again~!" Alina smirked as she glanced out the window. Sebastian growled and let off a dark aura.

"I swear, I am going to murder that imbecile!" The black haired butler muttered loud enough for Alina to hear.

"Swearing ruins your health, Sebastian!" She cackled before dashing towards the exit. "I'll go check what happened while you finish your cooking. Bye bye~" And with that, she raced off, out of the kitchen.

Sebastian blinked once again before flipping his pocket watch open.

He would have to hurry.

{In the Garden}

"Miss Alina! I'm so sorry I didn't mean to- to-to-" Finni sobbed, hugging the brunette's legs. Alina's eyebrows twitched in annoyance.

Why the hell was he crying to _her _anyways?! It's not like she has the authority to punish him…

"Finni!" The blue eyed maid gently pried the gardener off of her and held his shoulders with her hands.

"Yes?" The blonde stared at Alina, waiting for what she was going to say.

"What happened here?" She gestured to the garden. The roses were scorched, as were all of the other flowers, and there was a _huge crater _in center of the garden. Finni rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ah that! You see, Bard and I were wrestling when a dynamite stick fell out of his pocket and this match fell out too…" The blonde trailed off, figuring Alina could understand what happened.

"So that _one _dynamite stick caused this _enormous crater_? Sebastian is not going to like that. Anyways! Let's fix this~! Here, can you gather all of the rotten flowers? I'll go buy some new ones at the store." Alina winked reassuringly at the blonde gardener before handing him a bag and a rake.

"Of course! Come back soon, Miss Alina!" Finni cheered as he began raking the spoiled flowers together. Alina nodded at him and ran out of the garden.

The brunette fished out a ribbon and tied up her long hair messily, not wanting to deal with her hair while running to the town. She had to hurry after all.

-2 More Hours-

Sebastian finally finished the food, including his Young Master's afternoon tea. The butler headed towards Ciel's office with tea on a cart.

"Here is your afternoon tea, Young Master." Sebastian said, pouring the drink into a tea cup before setting it on the edge of Ciel's desk.

"How long until the guest comes?" Ciel questioned his butler as he read through a random document. Sebastian checked his pocket watch quickly before setting it back in his pocket.

"We have approximately 2 hours left. There are still a few things for me to put together so if you will excuse me…" Sebastian's eyes glimmered as he bowed and left the room.

Ciel watched his butler leave his room before turning his attention back to the paper that he held in his hands. Suddenly, the Earl grinned like a cheshire cat.

This evening will indeed be entertaining.

{With Alina}

"Here are your flowers, miss."

Alina smiled kindly at the lady before paying for the lovely plants.

"Thank you, please come again." The lady said before turning to her next customer. Alina glanced down at the batches of flowers that she held in her hands, grimacing a bit. She would have to cut all of them once she got back to the mansion. The brunette shrugged and walked out of the flower shop and started sprinting towards the direction of the mansion. She tried her best to avoid bumping into the people on the crowded streets.

She finally made it to the Phantomhive Mansion with an hour to spare. She had ran like the wind, and now she was panting like a dog. Sparing herself only a minute, she walked as fast as possible in the direction of the garden, since she wasn't allowed to run in the hallways.

"Miss Alina! You're finally back!" Finni's voice cheered happily. Alina couldn't see the crater anywhere so she assumed the blonde had dumped spare dirt to fill up the large hole.

"Finni! I see you fixed the crater! I don't even know where it was anymore!" The maid exclaimed with relief as she grinned, her brilliant turquoise irises shining. Finni sheepishly grinned and gestured to the flowers in Alina's arms.

"Are we going to plant those?"

Alina shook her head in response and looked down at the batch of plants in her hands.

"I think we should plant half and use the other half to decorate the mansion or the dinner table. What do you think?" The brunette asked the blonde, tilting her head slightly. Finni grinned brightly at the maid in response.

"I think your idea is great! I can do the planting, but I think miss Alina would do a better job at decorating."

Alina nodded, agreeing with the gardener. "We'll have to hurry. I think we only have an hour left. So here are the flowers to be planted…" she handed Finni half of her flowers before heading to the kitchen.

The rushing maid had only taken a few steps inside the mansion when she faintly heard the sound of approaching steps.

"Just what are you doing, Alina?" A smooth, velvety voice questioned from behind the said brunette. Her azure eyes widened, heart fluttering. Seriously! Why did he _always _have to creep up behind her?! She slowly turned around, to face Sebastian, who did not look pleased to see her holding a batch of flowers when they had a guest visiting in _one hour. _

"Erm-" Alina coughed awkwardly, keeping her eyes off the butler. "I was going to the kitchen to- wait. I was actually looking for you. Guess this saves me some time!" She exclaimed with a vibrant grin. Sebastian only narrowed his eyes.

"Please do explain. I thought I had sent you to fix whatever happened with the explosion?"

"Yeah, that's what I did. It turns out Finni and Bard were having a wrestling match and Bard's dynamite stick blew a _huge _crater in the garden. So I went to go buy more flowers because they were all burned and really ugly. I gave half of the flowers to Finni for him to plant and I was thinking these flowers could be used to decorate?" Alina finished, showing Sebastian the flowers in her hands. Sebastian quirked an eyebrow at the maid before slowly nodding his head.

"I see...but that is unnecessary. Decorations were finished an hour ago." Sebastian flashed Alina a closed-eyed grin which annoyed the said maid.

"Right. I'll just toss these guys out the window then. Who is the visitor anyway?" The pale brunette asked Sebastian as she pulled the ribbon from her hair, letting it flow down her back.

"Carlos Oshima will be visiting us tonight. He runs a well known clothing line and wishes to bring his clothing to Funtom's toys." The butler responded, checking his pocket watch. 30 more minutes.

"Oshima? That...sounds familiar. Creepy…" Alina shuddered stepping away from the nearby window, as if she felt threatened by being near the polished glass. Sebastian watched her through narrowed eyes.

"You know that name? It's company only opened several years ago, I believe it was 4 years ago."

Alina shook her head and walked behind the butler when a click-clacking noise caught her attention. She peeked at Sebastian's pocket watch that was hanging out of his pocket. The brunette gasped.

"Sebastian! They're early! What are they doing here 25 minutes early?!" She questioned, pulling Sebastian towards the entrance of the mansion.

"Go go go, greet the people~" Alina whispered and left the butler at the front of the Phantomhive mansion.

Sebastian muttered something about this throwing off the schedule before stepping forward with a charming grin. Out of the carriage, a bulky man with graying hair walked out with a lady beside him.

'_A girl? We were never informed about having _two _guests…' _Sebastian thought through his perfect smile.

"Greetings, you must be Mister Oshima. It is a pleasure to meet you." The butler bowed gracefully. The man nodded his head at Sebastian before following him into the mansion. Sebastian led the visitors to the dining room where Ciel already sat, waiting for them to be seated. Ciel too, looked surprised at the extra guest. Ciel glanced at Sebastian, expecting an answer but the butler gave none and simply proceeded to present the dinner.

Alina walked in the dining room with a bottle of wine her arms that Sebastian had told her to go find and pour into the visitor's glasses.

"...we have the information if you would like to take a look right now.." Carlos was discussing with Ciel when Alina had walked in. At the sound of that voice, Alina stopped. Her heart pounded against her chest and her stomach fluttered.

'_That voice...' _Alina thought, paling slightly. Sebastian stood behind the brunette, noticing her trembling hands. He leaned over and whispered into her ear urgently.

"Alina, hurry and pour the wine."

Alina didn't respond but she walked forward slowly and poured the wine carefully although her hands were shaking. After she had done her job, she left the room quickly and stepped out into the empty hall.

'_That voice...it's _his _voice…" _

Alina brought a hand up to her forehead, feeling a wave of nausea wash over her.


	6. Chapter 6

{Alina's Flashback}

"_Mom...Dad...I forgot to say goodnight.." I scrambled out of bed when a loud noise started to irritate me. _

_Screaming. Someone is screaming. Who is screaming? _

_I ran out of my room and into my parent's room, someone was screaming in their room. It was mother. But she was silent when I finally got inside their room. _

"_Mom! Dad?!" I screamed. Blood. There's so much blood on them. Why...why are they bleeding? I looked up and saw a red figure standing there with a knife in his hand. _

_That person killed them…._

"_Valerie!" I screamed, looking for my little sister. She was right behind me, but someone was right behind her. I yelled at her to move but she was too slow. The person dropped a vase on her head and she fell forward. _

_THUD!_

_Valerie's little body didn't move again._

_I whimpered. Are they going to kill me too? But…I just wanted to say good night…! _

_Even though their hood were on, I could see their smiled. They were smiling at me. I backed away but stupid me, I backed myself into a corner. They smiled even larger and then they dragged me into their carriage. It was so dark… I can't see anything… I can only hear horses trotting. I moved to the door since the person was asleep. He snored really loud. Suddenly, the carriage hit a bump. I fell out the carriage door. _

_What happened then? Everything is black now… I think I'm falling asleep…_

_I finally woke up from my sleep but too bad. Nothing was a dream. Everyone is still dead and I'm still...all alone..._

"_Give us the information, brat!" _

_I stared at the man with emotionless, empty eyes. What information did he want? I had no information. I only had my memories and my stubbornness. This person didn't kill mother and father but he keeps killing _me. _They keep me locked up here. My eyes became so adjusted to the darkness, I can see every detail now. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. _

"_Whip her!" He ordered with frustration. _

_CRACK!_

_There wasn't a single day that passed where I didn't feel the stinging pain of the leather ripping my skin. _

"_Tell us the information!" _

_It was always like a little game for me to lose constantly. I…always...lost. _

"_Whip her!" _

_Is this __Déjà vu? The same things keep repeating themselves. These people keep asking me the same questions that I don't have answer for and they keep whipping me. When will things change? _

"_Again!" _

_CRACK!_

_There was the whip again. I screamed at the top of my lungs, trying to hold back stinging tears but they streamed down my cheeks anyways. _

"_When will you give us the information you stubborn wench?!" _

_I hated that voice. I hated the authority the voice had. I hated the chains that bound me to the wall. And I hated that bloody whip. _

_Information. Information. Information. All they wanted was information. _

_But...I don't have any information…_

{End of Flashback}

"Yo, Alina! Wake up!" Bard exclaimed in front of the brunette, wondering why she was sleeping at a time like this.

"What's wrong with miss Alina?" Finni ran over to Bard's side, glancing down at the maid. Her skin had paled significantly and she was sweating, soaking her clothing.

"We should go find Sebastian, yes!" Mey-rin suggested, holding her hand to Alina's forehead, checking for a fever. Good thing she didn't have one.

"There is no need, I am already here." Sebastian stated calmly from behind the three stooges. Mey-rin jumped, Bard popped a cigarette into his mouth, and Finni simply stared at the unconscious maid in front of him.

"Mister Sebastian...Miss Alina looks sick…" Finni spoke worriedly, his voice trembling. Sebastian glanced down at Alina and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Alina, wake up." The butler spoke to the maid in a firm yet gentle voice.

"Wait, shouldn' we just ya know, take 'er to 'er room?" Bard questioned but Sebastian shook his head in response.

"She's having a nightmare, once she wakes up she'll be screaming and scared. I would rather have that now where we can calm her down." The black haired butler explained to the three servants.

"Oh, that makes sense, yes!" Mey-rin exclaimed while pushing up her glasses.

"Erm, then shouldn't we wake her up now then?" Finni scratched his head with a puzzled expression.

"Ah, yes. Alina, wake up." Sebastian repeated himself. In response, the brunette opened her blue eyes with a jump. Alina stared at Sebastian through panicked eyes as she panted for breath. The butler slowly set a gloved hand on the brunette's head and flashed her a smile. Alina flinched at Sebastian's touch, as if it were poison, but stayed still.

"W-w-what happened…?" She stammered as her mind began to work again.

"Yer' fell asleep in the hallway, that's what happened!" Bard exclaimed from beside the maid. Alina's eyes widened again.

"That… was all...just a dream..?" She muttered to herself before standing up abruptly. "Right. I've got to clean up the dirty dishes and the laundry!" Alina exclaimed, pounding a fist on her other hand.

Sebastian chuckled as if the maid had just told a joke.

"Those are done already. You can help me with the morning preparations. You three-" He pointed to Bard, Mey-rin, and Finni. "-may go to bed, your work is done for the night. Good job this evening."

The three stooges grinned and took off in a split second.

"Yay! Night work! Where are we going?" Alina questioned Sebastian after he gestured for her to follow him.

"To the kitchen." He put bluntly which caused Alina to fake a smile.

"I see." She spoke quietly and continued to walk behind the butler.

-A few moments later-

"Here, could you please chop these carrots?" Sebastian asked as he handed Alina a bowl of carrots and _a knife. _The brunette eyed the knife that the butler held in his hand as she took the carrots.

"I d-don't need to use the k-knife right?" Alina stuttered, backing away from the sharp cutlery. Sebastian quirked an eyebrow at the maid's strange question.

"I don't believe you can cut carrots without a knife, Alina."

Her blue eyes stayed on the knife in his hand, as if it were a threat.

"B-b-but it's g-g-going to-" Alina trembled as she continued to stare at the knife. Sebastian smirked at the troubled brunette with pure amusement.

"Do you happen to have a fear of knives?"

"Hahaha what are you talking about? A fear of knives?! Pfft that's the dumbest thing I've..heard...all day...hahaha...ha…" Alina laughed weakly as the butler set down the knife with a sigh.

"Or are you faking the fact that you're scared of knives so that you don't have to chop?" Sebastian quickly threw a few ingredients into a pot.

"More like a fear of weaponry. If I see a whip I'll probably scream and run around like a lunatic. " Alina glanced over the butler's shoulder and watched him stir the soup slowly. Sebastian didn't reply to the brunette which bothered Alina. She looked at the knife that sat on the counter and the bowl of carrots that were waiting to be diced. The blue eyed maid gulped and walked over to the knife. Slowly, her hand started to etch towards to the cutlery.

"What are you doing?" Sebastian's sudden questioned made Alina jump away from the sharp object.

"What?! I'm feeling guilty over here! I don't want to be the spoiled brat that complains and doesn't do any work…"The brunette grumbled as she picked up the knife, grimacing. Sebastian watched her with amusement before remarking on the fact that she was holding the knife incorrectly.

Eventually, the carrots _did _get chopped.

But Sebastian never asked Alina about her nightmare like he had wanted to. And Alina never told Sebastian about Carlos Oshima like she had wanted to.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 STARTS

{The next afternoon}

"Alina!" Sebastian called for the maid, who came rushing to the kitchen a few moments later.

"Yes?" The brunette to say as she struggled to catch her breath. Alina had been in the garden, helping Finni pull the weeds out of the flower beds. Since the kitchen was _so far away _ from the garden, she had barely heard Sebastian call out her name.

"Here, I want you to go to town and pick up the foods on this list. We are out of stock and I have to prepare for tonight's dinner and Young Master's snack. Please hurry." The black haired butler handed Alina a single sheet of paper with a long, _long, _list of various foods scribbled down onto it.

"Sure, I'll be back later then. Oh! Finni is pulling the weeds and I think I left the fertilizer there by accident so please expect the worst~!" Alina smiled innocently before taking off, leaving a cloud of dust behind her. Sebastian blinked, processing the information he'd just been given by the cheerful maid.

'Oh goodness, this is going to be just _lovely_…' Sebastian grumbled sarcastically in his head as he heard the rather loud muffled sobs of a familiar gardener.

{In the town}

"Could I please get a bag of these and 16 ounces of this meat over here?" Alina politely asked the lady who stood behind the counter as she checked for the next thing on her long list of groceries. The lady returned the smile and nodded her head in response. A few moments later, Alina had two bags of meat and vegetables in her hands. The brunette gave her thanks and payed the store owner before leaving the shop.

"Goodness, this is going to take all day. Sorry Sebastian, dinner might be a little late..." Alina trailed off as she headed towards another shop. Next on the list was sugar, both brown sugar and white sugar. Alina guessed it made sense that they were out of sugar, Sebastian was _always _making Ciel sweets to eat after all.

Suddenly, the brunette maid heard the desperate cries of what it sounded like, a child. Alina turned around to see a dark alley, where the cries screamed. The maid figured that dashing into a dark alley probably wasn't the best of ideas but being the dense girl she was, she rushed down the alley anyways.

"UWAAAAA! WHAAAAA UWAA!"

Alina spotted a little figure in the shadows, trembling against the cold stone of the walls. As quick as possible (considering the load of her groceries), the maid made her way to the sobbing child.

"Miss, what's wrong?" Alina landed a hand gently on the girl's shoulder. Immediately, the little kid flinched at the maid's touch, as if it was burning her.

"M-m-my parents…I am l-l-lost!" She clutched several locks of her glossy blonde hair. Alina grinned when she looked closely at the girl's facial features. Her eyes were an entrancing bright blue that reminded the maid of Ciel's own blue eye.

"It's okay, I'll help you find them if you want. Do you mind telling me your name?" Alina brushed back her own light brown hair as she kneeled down in front of the blonde girl. The girl sniffled and wiped away her streaming tears before shaking her head at Alina.

"Big s-sister said to tell any s-s-strangers my name. I-I'm sorry…"

Alina blinked before patting the girl on her head while smiling with amusement.

"It's fine. Your big sister is a smart cookie isn't she?" The brunette questioned as she ruffled her new friend's hair gently. The little blonde smiled a tiny smile before pointing to a clock shop.

"Big sister and father was at that shop earlier."

Alina turned to take a look at the shop. It looked beaten down and unkept from the outside. Not many customers were entering the shop, most spared the shop a dirty look before heading to a different store. Alina sighed and headed towards the said store, holding the hand of the lost blonde beside her. The two entered the clock store to hear desperate screaming. Alina had to cover her ears to keep from becoming deaf.

"Where is my daughter?!" A rough voice exclaimed with obvious fury.

"I s-swear, I haven't s-s-seen her all day, sir!" Responded a frightened voice.

"Father!" Alina's friend shouted, yanking her hand away from Alina's and dashing towards the yelling man. The man turned around abruptly to see his daughter running towards him with outstretched arms. Alina narrowed her azure eyes at the scene before her. The store owner behind the counter looked like he had just crapped his pants in fright. The little girl she had met looked slightly relieved but her father's relief looked..._fake. Calculated and acted out. _

The girl's father glanced at the Phantomhive maid before smiling. Alina sent him a strange look as she was reminded of Sebastian's own smiles.

_Fake. Fake smiles. Fake relief. This is all an act. _

Alina realized this and kept her distance from the man.

"Thank you so very much for bringing my daughter back to me! Thank you!" The little girl's father made his way to Alina but she stepped back, her eyes narrowed down to slits.

"_How did you know I was the one who brought her back?" _The brunette whispered eerily which caused the man to pause. Alina could have sworn she saw a flash of anger flicker in his black eyes.

"I'm just kidding! I'm glad I helped, but I need to leave now. I have somewhere to be. It was nice to meet your daughter." She faked a bright smile and turned around to leave the clock store when a light tug on her maid uniform stopped her. Alina snapped her around to see the little blonde girl smiling up at her.

"Miss, what's your name?" She questioned as she tilted her head slightly to the left. The maid blinked before smiling at the girl.

"I'm Alina. How about you?"

The little girl paused, her eyes flickering, as if she was making an important decision. Suddenly, she beamed brightly at Alina, her ocean blue eyes sparkling.

"My name is Rachel! Thank you Miss Alina!" She exclaimed happily before running back to her father. Alina smiled softly before walking out the door. She looked up at the sky and sighed in disappointment.

"It's dark already.." Alina mumbled as she dragged the groceries with her. She took a look around but she realized something as she took in her surroundings.

_She was lost. _

"Damn it! Where is road?!" The brunette bit her lip in frustration and fear. Why was she getting this gut feeling that she might be in trouble? And why was she in an alley?

'_I must have wandered the streets without realizing it...' _

Alina looked around but she couldn't find an exit. Weird. She started walking forward but it seemed endless. Suddenly, a shrill cackle echoed from behind her, startling the maid.

"Oh lookie here, we have a little lost lamb~"

Alina snapped her head around to see a lady who seemed to be slightly older than herself. The lady had bright scarlet hair and slanted grey eyes. In all honesty, she was extremely attractive but that made Alina even more uncomfortable, for some strange reason.

"Who are you?" Alina asked rather rudely, but she had no patience to be polite at the moment. The redhead simply smirked and slowly made her way to the brunette.

"Me? You don't remember? I'm offended! But of course, you had quite the nightmare of the other day didn't you?" She grinned manically and took another step towards Alina. The maid's azure eyes widened in shock as she remembered Ciel's two guests from the other day.

_Carlos Oshima and that red haired lady…_

"You…!" Alina started but was cut off when the redhead sprinted forward quickly and knocked the maid in the head. Slowly, Alina fell backwards and hit the hard ground with a thud.

'_I'm sorry Sebastian, I might be a little late…' The brunette thought as she sunk into complete darkness. _

{At the Phantomhive Mansion}

Sebastian flicked his pocket watch shut and shoved it back into his breast pocket. The Phantomhive butler narrowed his red eyes in annoyance. He had sent Alina to go buy groceries and to return in a timely manner but she had been gone for over three hours! The butler sighed before heading to Ciel's room with his tea. He would have to go find her, she has probably gotten herself lost somewhere.

"Here is the tea I have prepared." Sebastian spoke as he poured his master a cup of tea. Ciel sipped the tea as he read the newspaper slowly before setting his cup down.

"There's been a new kidnapper on the streets recently. Her Majesty would like us to take care of this matter quickly as the Yard can't find anything. She has made the exception this time; we will not be needing the Yard's help." The Earl explained, resting his chin on the palm of his hands as he stared at Sebastian. The butler simply nodded his head, taking a glance at his pocket watch once again. Ciel frowned at the sight. Something has his butler troubled.

"Sebastian," The blue eyed Earl clasped his hands in his lap as he caught the said butler's attention.

"Yes, my lord?" The black haired servant flicked his gaze back over to his master.

"What's wrong? You keep looking at your watch as if you're expecting someone but we don't have any visitors today."

Sebastian muttered something about 'a stupid maid getting lost' under his breath before responding to Ciel, who was giving him a strange look.

"I sent Alina to go buy groceries but she hasn't returned yet."

"Then wait for her to come back." Ciel stated the obvious with a bored expression on his face.

"It's been 3 hours, young master."

Ciel continued to stare at Sebastian before crossing his arms.

"Fine. We'll look for that troublesome girl. Let's go, I'm starving after all!" The Earl exclaimed as he grabbed his walking cane and his black cloak. Sebastian bowed before walking after his impatient master.

{Time Skip: In the town}

"Wouldn't it make more sense if we checked the alleys?" Sebastian sighed as he shook his head in disapproval at his master's suggestion. Who in their right mind would check the sewers? They were looking for a maid with groceries! A tick mark formed on Ciel's head in annoyance.

"Then what about the forest? She could have wandered off there and it's the ideal kidnap spot for a kidnapper." The Phantomhive Earl grumbled as he pointed to the nearby woods with his gloved index finger. Sebastian considered this for a moment but shook his head once again.

"I would think she would leave behind groceries if she was running from a kidnapper or if she was running away at all…" The butler hummed as he noticed Ciel glancing at a dark alley. "Young Master, please don't wander, it could be dangerous there."

"Sebastian, look, there are rotten apples and sugar bags." The blue eyed Earl spoke as he turned his attention back to his butler. The butler took a few steps and ended up at his master's side, examining the scene. Indeed, it looked like a victim had struggled before being dragged off by a kidnapper. Sebastian frowned as he spotted a thin, crumpled sheet of paper which had his own handwriting on it.

_Alina's grocery list. _

Ciel walked over and picked up the torn paper, maintaining his royal scowl.

"This is Alina's correct?" He handed Sebastian the list with a bored expression. The butler snapped his head around as a gently breeze passed by, carrying the maid's scent.

It came from the woods. Now that the butler thought about it, those woods looked awfully familiar. Sebastian immediately picked up Ciel into his arms bridal style and dashed towards the woods with agile speed.

"Sebastian_?!_" Ciel exclaimed, clinging to the butlers neck in attempt to keep himself from falling off. The butler only glanced down at his master and smiled through closed eyes.

"Looks you were right after all, Young Master! Good job!" The black haired butler exclaimed, much to Ciel's great annoyance. Stupid butler! What was he treating him like an idiot for?! Just find that girl already! Sebastian pretended to not notice the murderous aura that was seeping out of his little master and continued to travel deeper in the lush forest. Alina's scent was becoming stronger by the second as they rushed forward. Suddenly, the maid's rather plain scent stopped at the entrance to a tower.

"They must have brought her in here. Your orders, young master?"

Ciel looked dazed for a moment before snapping his blue gaze back to his butler's.

"Say...this place looks familiar. This isn't…?!" The little Earl questioned with shock when he saw Sebastian's eerie smile.

"Indeed. This is where we first found Alina on our way back home."

Ciel's stomach lurched as he turned back to the shady tower. His maid had been terribly injured and almost died of fever from the infection in her wounds when they had taken her in that night. The Earl shuddered as he was reminded of his own experiences of torture.

"Sebastian...this is an order, go save Alina."

"As you wish." The said butler responded quickly before dashing straight through the entrance, Ciel in the safety of his arms.

Sebastian shattered the glass and took a look around. There was no one around but he could faintly hear painful, ear-splitting screeches ringing from down the hallway. Ciel narrowed his visible eye and followed his butler, who was racing down the closest hallway with his cutlery ready between his fingers.

Ciel could only wonder who the kidnapper could be as he struggled to catch his breath.

{In the dungeons of the tower}

"Hehe, does this look familiar to you, dear Amberwood?" That wicked redhead cackled as she forcefully chained Alina's hands to the stone cold wall. Alina shot the lady a glare full of pure hatred. Despite her tough look, the poor maid was actually shaking on the inside. Was she going to be tortured again? The redhead gripped a leather whip in her hands and snapped it near the brunette's legs with a Cheshire-like grin.

_SNAP!_

Alina couldn't help herself, it was too painful. She let out an ear-splitting scream, much to the grey eyed lady's pleasure.

"Good! Scream, scream as much as you want! _I want to hear your pitiful cries. _Or you can beg! 'Please, spare me!' Just like how you used to!~" She cheered and lashed the whip at Alina once again. Alina suppressed the strong urge to scream.

_Again went the whip. _

Alina's hands were bloody and a pool of scarlet liquid had formed below her feet.

"Do you think they will come save you? Don't even dream of it. They will never get through the guards." The redhead snickered. She doubted the Earl would come to save a lowly maid like her anyways. Alina managed to force a smile on her pale face.

"Who's going to save me? Remember miss? _Apparently I'm no better than trash. No one cares for me right?" _The brunette whispered with a cocky smirk. The lady's grey eyes flickered angrily and whipped the maid once again, with more force. Alina felt as if her whole body were on fire, the pain was burning through her skin. She was going to faint, she was going to sleep through this hell, the brunette knew she couldn't stay conscious for much longer. Suddenly, an image of Ciel and Sebastian flashed through her mind, along with Mey-rin, Bard, and Finni.

'_That's right. I have to get back and give Sebastian his groceries…!' _

_KACHAK!_

Alina used her feet and kicked the lady's stomach, making her drop the whip. The lady was stunned for a moment, allowing Alina to use her feet to quickly kick a nearby pipe up into her hands. It was a risky move but the pip fell safely into Alina's right hand. Immediately, Alina used her fingers to flip the pipe around and yank her chains apart. This took too much of the remainder of her energy, causing her to struggled to stay conscious.

"Why, how dare you!" The redhead screeched in horror as Alina approached her with the pipe in her hands. The brunette smirked.

"I don't believe that it's against any rules…." she started as she lunged at the lady and smacked her against the head with her lovely pipe. "to be smarter than your enemy. Don't you agree?" Alina whispered as the lady's head hit the hard floor with a loud thud.

Suddenly, footsteps started to echo in the stairway that led to the dungeons. Alina snapped her head around in fear that guards may have heard the lady's screams and come to chain her up again. She started to head toward the metal bars that held her in but found that they were locked shut. Alina started to panic when the approaching footsteps grew louder and she looked around for a way to bust her way out but she found no key.

_The footsteps grew even louder. _

Alina's heart began to pound against her chest and her hands began to tremble once again. No no no no no no no no! She can't be chained again! Alina fell to her knees in defeat as she watched her blood trickle down her arms and seep out of her clammy hands. Tears slipped down her pale cheeks when she heard the dungeon doors open with a squeak.

"ALINA!" A familiar voice shouted from the doors. The said brunette lifted her head and snapped her gaze over to the voice. Her azure eyes widened.

"C-Ciel?" The maid managed to say, bringing a bloody hand to her head. She wasn't hallucinating was she?! No, she wasn't! The little Earl and his perfect butler was standing in front of her, both panting for breath.

_They really came for her._

"Sebastian, get her out of there!" Ciel commanded his butler when he saw his maid locked in metal bars.

In a split second, the said butler stood right in front of the lock that shut their maid in her deadly prison. Alina shook under his gaze with fear. The image of that lady whipping her over and over again wouldn't leave her head! Suddenly, Sebastian gripped the iron bars and with a heave, he bent them so far that they split in half. The brunette maid's cerulean irises widened at the sight. That wasn't possible! What human could split iron apart, as if it were nothing?! It was inhuman! A grin stretched on Sebastian's face as he held a hand to her.

"Well, shall we get going? I will prepare warm milk once we get back to the mansion for you and the young master." He spoke as he stared at Alina, straight in the eye. Alina glanced at his gloved hand. There was no need to hesitate. In that moment, the pale brunette grabbed his hand, flashing him her best smile.

"I told you that I would freak if I ever saw another whip again didn't I?"

Sebastian's smirk disappeared as he spotted her leaking blood. Ciel walked over slowly and leaned down beside Sebastian to take a look at his wounded maid. The Earl frowned when he glanced at the torturous dungeon. He was going to have to sit down and have a nice little chat with the owner of this tower. Ciel did _not _like the fact that _his _maid was being abused without any permission. Not like he would ever allow any intentional harm to come to that girl though.

"Let's hurry and get back home, she needs medical attention. And find out who owns this place, I'm going to _kill those bastards."_ Muttered darkly as he headed towards the exit, leaving Sebastian with the unconscious lady and Alina.

"Hehehehe...Father won't be pleased if I allow you to leave~"

Alina froze and tightened her grip on Sebastian's hand as she watched the redhead stand up, as if she hadn't just beat her in the head with a metal pipe. Sebastian narrowed his eyes and shoved Ciel behind him along with Alina. Alina stared into the lady's cloudy grey eyes and suddenly grinned manically. Sebastian sent the maid a questioning stare but was simply ignored, much to his annoyance.

"I know who you are now, miss lady." Alina spoke eerily, as if she were a whole different person. The red haired lady smiled as well, matching Cheshire own creepy grin.

"Oh do you now? Why don't you give me a grand introduction to your _lovely _friends over here?" She cackled rather loudly. The brunette's grin grew even larger (if that was possible) as she stood up and mock bowed.

"Why, it would be my honor, Miss Ruthie."

Ciel's eye widened. That name… wasn't that his new client?! The Earl frowned at the sight. Oh goodness, he would have to stop business with the pair. He didn't work with sewer rats after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, I haven't updated this story is a reallyyy longgg timee and I feel bad about it but I have an announcement for whoever decides to read this far! **

**Firstly, I've had a few of my friends read this Fan fiction, and I've gotten the same feedback from them. They've said that they felt bad for Alina in the first chapter, but that was it. After that, they said that she got a bit bossy, or 'Mary-sue-ish', taking on a bratty personality. So I reread my story after that and I found that my friends were right. Alina was bratty after the first chapter. I didn't intend for her personality to be so whacked up, but she turned out that way somehow. Now, every time I look at this story again, I feel ashamed that I even wrote this story. Alina's personality is really messed up, and actually, I think all of the Black Butler characters are out of character. **

**I've gone over the plot for this Fan Fiction as well, and I've found sooo many plot holes! There are a ton of errors in this story, in just the first three chapters, I can spot a flaw in every paragraph or so. Because of this, I've decided that I'm going to set aside this story for a little while, and I'll go back to it after I've planned out the whole plot and fixed all the current errors. I'll be working on a different Fan Fiction of mine that has more planning and thought put into it. So all of my focus will be going towards my other Fan Fiction, and this one will go in my 'uncompleted' folder. **

**I'll still keep Malevolence on here for anyone who might want to read it, but it won't be updated for a while. Sorry for anyone who actually liked this story, but thank you to those who took the time to read Malevolence! I'll definitely be back, but I'm going to give Alina a break for now.**

**Sorry and thank you again! ^^**

**-Lacrima Silva**


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